Manchin: White House Waiting for 2014 Elections on Gun Control

President Barack Obama did not mention the words “background checks” in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. And don’t expect him to push for expanding federal background checks until after the 2014 elections, according to a top lawmaker on the issue.

Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., said Tuesday that, to his knowledge, there are no behind-the-scenes negotiations on gun control extending beyond Obama’s brief comments in his speech Tuesday. After spending a significant amount of time speaking about gun control in 2013, weeks after a mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, Obama glossed over gun control in 2014. Manchin said he believed the administration would wait until after the 2014 midterm elections.

“I think basically, the numbers are what they are right now. They’ll probably wait until the 2014 election and see what happens,” Manchin said.

Last spring, several in-cycle Senate Democrats, including Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Mark Begich of Alaska, voted against Manchin’s bipartisan legislation with Republican Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania. Others, like Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana and Kay Hagan of North Carolina, voted in favor of the agreement. Though voting against the majority of the party and the president could give vulnerable Senate Democrats some political cover, it gives them less when their group of red state Democrats are split.

Manchin said it still is possible for Congress to pursue legislation that would strengthen mental health provisions in federal law, but even the path to that seems unclear.

He still defends expanding the federal background check system, even if Obama seems to have dropped it publicly from his list of priorities.

“Well, here’s the thing. It makes so much sense and it still does,” Manchin said. “I come from a gun culture, as you know, and it still makes so much sense.”

Here was the entirety of what Obama said on guns Tuesday night:

“Citizenship means standing up for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day. I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say “we are not afraid,” and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook.”

Blow it out your porthole Buddy…..The president and Congress can pass all the laws they want: Getting Americans to comply is a horse of an entirely different color……Attempting to Back-door us with “Registration” is waking us up to the fact that Government wants to know where decent law-abiding Citizens are that possess guns…..We see where you want to go with this……and it’s NOT going to happen…….Like, have you noticed America has the WORLD’S largest percentage of the population in PRISON? Hmmmm….Guess a whole lot of people have no respect for the law, so what do you want to do? Write MORE laws……..Keep it up and we’ll just see where this all ends……..

Scarlatti7

I am not afraid either. I am not afraid to stand up to Obama and his contempt for the Constitution and the rights of gun owners.

Sally

Oh bull. The Constitution does not give you the right to own an unlimited number of unregistered war weapons just ‘because.’ That amendment was to give states a ‘regulated militia’ before there was a national army or a National Guard. Are you a ‘militia?’

williamdiamon

You are funny, or just can’t read, but if you ever do, you will notice that it’s not call the “Bill of Needs”. It is called the Bill of Rights.
From:
“Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom? Congress shall have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American … The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the People.”
— Tench Coxe, 1788.

To:
Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.”
— John F. Kennedy

The militia has always been with us, it is in fact -us-. All males between the ages of 18 to 45 are the Militia. My State is considering a Bill now to extend the 45 year old age limit as many vets have valuable experience and skills. Read your own Sate’s Constitution for clarity.
Here are a few words from our sponsors:

“A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.”
– George Washington

“The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed.”
– Thomas Jefferson

“To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them.”
– George Mason

“I ask sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few politicians.”
– George Mason (father of the Bill of Rights and The Virginia Declaration of Rights)

“Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe.”
– Noah Webster

“The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops.”
– Noah Webster

“A government resting on the minority is an aristocracy, not a Republic, and could not be safe with a numerical and physical force against it, without a standing army, an enslaved press and a disarmed populace.”
– James Madison

“Americans have the right and advantage of being armed, unlike the people of other countries, whose leaders are afraid to trust them with arms.”
– James Madison

“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country.”
– James Madison

“The ultimate authority resides in the people alone.”
– James Madison

“To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.”
– Richard Henry Lee

“A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves … and include all men capable of bearing arms.”
– Richard Henry Lee

“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined…. The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able might have a gun.”
– Patrick Henry

“This may be considered as the true palladium of liberty…. The right of self defense is the first law of nature: in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever standing armies are kept up, and the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.”
– St. George Tucker

“… arms … discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property…. Horrid mischief would ensue were (the law-abiding) deprived the use of them.”
– Thomas Paine

“The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.”
– Samuel Adams

“The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.”
– Joseph Story

TexTopCat

We need to look at all gun laws, especially existing ones, and only allow laws that can be shown to be effective in reducing criminal violence and criminal behavior. So, we need actual numbers and facts not idle claims from people like this senator. I think we need by revoking the in-effective laws that exist, like NFA and the Brady laws. Certainty, much work also needs to be done at the state level to remove these restrictive gun laws that do not work.

Rob

Vote out the incumbents. We need to send a message in November.

Sally

Oh we will. These senseless killings of children with their parents’ ‘unloaded’ weapons have to stop.

williamdiamon

Consumer Reports shows that less then two percent of deaths in the home, where children find their parents guns, concern guns. You or your children are more likely to die or electrocution, falling, or consuming poisons from under the sink.

Wartonn

They can wait all they want, wont change a thing. We said no to gun control and we will win in the end, like always. Well that and we will vote for ONLY pro gun candidates in any election. Yes folks, this IS the most important issue out there, once they take our guns, we are slaves and they can do whatever they want to us and THAT Is why the dems are busy slowly stripping away our gun rights.

Sally

No one is trying to take your darn guns. get over yourself. If one of your kids were shot, would you not want the police to be able to trace the weapon? Oh, unless it came from your gun collection, I guess.

williamdiamon

Stop lying. The ONLY reason you are posting is your either your fear of weapons or your hatred of a free people. You know you cannot take or guns, but in your dream world you really do want to, don’t you.

williamdiamon

The DOJ told Eric Holder the bill can’t work without a complete registry of gun owners in the USA. This is the danger of this bill and why there is so much resistance to it. The NICS is set up in a certain way, You can trace a gun to it’s owner but not a owner to a gun. If a weapon is found at a crime scene, we call the FBI with the serial number, they have a record of who sold the gun, they call the FFL and they will search their records for the buyer. This way no one can look up your name and know what guns you own, then persecute in some way.

williamdiamon

This system was set up this specific way to prevent what happened in Nazi Germany. Still, All it would take is someone keeping a copy of the checking list to know who has what. Don’t think it could happen? Neither did the disarmed Jews. Or the other 6 million undesirables. This is why it will never happen in America. Read History, it hasn’t been kind to those who’ve been disarmed, we know them as “victims”.

The first part of this post is below, I had to break it into two posts because of RollCall’s dilusions.

williamdiamon

The DOJ told Eric Holder the bill can’t work without a complete registry of gun owners in the USA. This is the danger of this bill and why there is so much resistance to it. The NICS is set up in a certain way, You can trace a gun to it’s owner but not a owner to a gun. If a weapon is found at a crime scene, we call the FBI with the serial number, they have a record of who sold the gun, they call the FFL and they will search their records for the buyer. This way no one can look up your name and know what guns you own, then persecute in some way. This system was set up this specific way to prevent what happened in Nazi Germany. Still, All it would take is someone keeping a copy of the checking list to know who has what. Don’t think it could happen? Neither did the disarmed Jews. Or the other 6 million undesirables. This is why it will never happen in America. Read History, it hasn’t been kind to those who’ve been disarmed, we know them as “victims”.

wysoft

The ATF already has those lists. Many FFLs have reported ATF agents showing up unannounced and demanding to make photocopies of their bound books. When an FFL expires, the FFL must turn in his books to the ATF.

It seems pretty obvious to me that they already have a rudimentary registry worked out; it’s simply just not as comprehensive, complete, and real-time as they want it to be.

williamdiamon

“The best laid plans”. It’s like watching mice work all day long, until the cat comes. Do they really think this will end any different for them then it did for General Gage and King George?

Sally

Most Jews did not own guns. They used to be a peaceful people.

williamdiamon

why?

sundog50

Not to the majority of your constituents, Joe, nor to anyone who understands WHY the Feds want that comprehensive list of gun owners!

“Well, here’s the thing. It makes so much sense and it still does,”Manchin said. “I come from a gun culture, as you know, and it still makes so much sense.”

Sally

Gee, we don’t own any guns, and never will. And we have never been ‘victims.’ You folks are just a gun killing waiting to happen..either you or a loved one.

williamdiamon

Are you seeking professional help for your sociopathic anti-social behavior?

If one reads the new guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on providing mental health data to the NICS one will see that these guidelines circumvent the legal processes of adjudication as well as due legal review and the rights of challenge or recourse. This is precisely the reason why we HAVE a 2nd Amendment because, throughout history, we know governments WILL TRY to deny RIGHTS without due legal review and recourse.

Inquisitor

“Australia and the UK both virtually banned private firearm ownership in the 1990s, and both carried out actual nationwide gun confiscation. And yet, in a report commissioned by Obama right after Newtown, to evaluate the likely effect of the gun laws proposed by McCarthy and her allies in Congress then, the National Institute of Justice conceded that no form of violent crime has decreased in either country, including murder, despite over 15 years with a virtually complete gun ban in place. However, during that same time period, the US significantly loosened its concealed carry laws, going from virtually no private citizens being legally able to do it in 1985, to over 10 million people being legally able to today, and, unlike these other two countries, experienced a dramatic reduction in all forms of violent crime (including gun crime) over the same period.

“In 2002 The CDC did a review of the literature on the effect of gun control. They looked at 99 studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Their findings were that not one single legitimately conducted study was able to show any reduction in violent crime of any kind due to gun control laws, anywhere, ever. In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences repeated this exercise, looking at over 250 studies. They got the same result. Not even one study demonstrating any reduction in violent crime due to any gun control law.

“In June, 2013, the CDC issued another report on gun violence, after President Obama authorized additional funding to them for research into the issue. In their report they admitted that every single study ever done on the question has shown that guns are used not just more often, but many TIMES more often, for self-defense in the US than for crime. They also conceded that every single study done on the question of the effectiveness of such use has shown that those who use guns for self-defense are the single least likely group of victims of violent crime to suffer injury or death, proving that guns in fact DO make people safer than any other method of avoiding harm at the hand of a violent attacker, and that every study done to test this premise has shown it to be true.

“So, given that all the data from sources as either non-aligned or even anti-gun as the CDC, the National Academy of Sciences, and the US Department of Justice have shown that gun control laws do nothing to reduce violent crime or violent death, and that guns in the hands of law abiding citizens actually do make people safer on the whole, trying to call gun control laws “resources against gun violence” is a blatant untruth.” – Reginald Vorchinsky

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About #WGDB

Niels Lesniewski has covered the Senate for CQ Roll Call since January 2010, and more recently as a staff writer and resident procedure guru for Roll Call. Niels holds degrees in both government and theater but sometimes can't tell the difference between the two. @nielslesniewski